We lay under the lumpy duvet, though I'm not sure how we got there, our bodies entwined and tingling. My mind was numb and buzzing with the aftermath of merely ten minutes ago. My arm was slung across his bare torso and Tom's fingers drew lazy circles on my wrist as we both stared absentmindedly at the ceiling.

"I think we'll have to start meeting twice a week instead of just Sundays," I whispered into the fading light.

I heard his translucent laugh and felt his grin.

"I was thinking more like three," he replied, clearly amused.

"I don't know how I'm going to hide this from my parents, I'm sure they'll guess within no time what I was actually doing here."

I posed the statement as a joke, but inwardly I really was concerned. Would the I blush every time they asked me about my trip and give myself away? Or would I trip up over my lies and expose my real whereabouts?

"Look like the innocent flower but be the serpent under't," he whispered poetically.

I turned my head to peer at him. He was deadly serious.

"It's Macbeth," he said simply.

"You know Shakespeare?" I asked, impressed.

"Only a few. I used to read them at the orphanage. My favourite was always Richard III, except for the ending."

I frowned when he did not continue.

"I always quite liked Romeo and Juliet, myself," I said, "It's the only one I've ever read, but it always seemed kind of, well, beautiful to me. They fall in love at first sight, keep their relationship a secret from all but one, and are willing to give up the most precious thing for each other- their lives."

"I never read Romeo and Juliet," Tom replied, "But I know the story, and there was always one part that irritated me."

"Go on," I prompted.

I was intrigued, this was the most he'd probably ever opened up to me, besides telling me of his family. But even then, that was a matter of facts- this was different.

"Well Romeo seems to give up pretty quickly, don't you think?" He looked at me, searching my face for the answer, "If that were me, lying on the stone," his voice dropped, his tone dark as if he really were dead, "Would you accept my passing straight away? Wouldn't you do anything you could to bring me back? Because when you think about it, if he'd only tried for a few more minutes, Juliet would have woken up and they could have been happy. It's frustrating... or so I think."

"Could they have been happy?"

"What?" He seemed taken aback, as if I should have accepted his explanation without question.

"I mean, their families were enemies, so they would have had to run away together, but then wouldn't they have missed their families? And anyway, I can't help but feel sorry for Paris. He's the one who draws the short straw in all of this."

"Who cares about Paris? And yes, I think they could have been very happy," his eyes searched me once more as he spoke, and I somehow felt we weren't speaking of the play so much anymore, "What is family really, when compared to love? Everyone has a family but not everyone has this."

At that, he reached over and planted a kiss on my forehead, pausing in the act to savour the touch. Then he was gone, and there was nothing but a cold draft up one side where the duvet had been pulled back...

There was only one day left until the start of the new school year, and to say that I was excited would have been a huge understatement. For one, I would be going back as a NEWT student this year; for two, I hadn't seen either of my friends all summer; and for three, I would be back to seeing Tom everyday, instead of just once or sometimes twice a week.

My parents car pulled up on the pavement outside Kings Cross Station and I hastily bid them both goodbye. My father had only just learnt to drive in the last year, after having received a promotion at work and finally saving up enough to buy a car. For the first time, they had accompanied me to the Train Station, which was both touching and dangerous for me. Checking that the coast was clear, I heaved my suitcase and bags from the back seat and hurried away from them, pausing to wave subtly at the doors to the inside.

"Lana?" A familiar voice called from behind me.

I jumped, blood instantly rushing into my pale face.

It was Emily; she was stood to the right of the doors on the inside, and so would not have seen my parents in their car. Relief flooded my veins and I smiled at my old friend. She stood with an older witch and wizard dressed in extremely conspicuous, black cloaks with high collars and green patterns swirling across the shiny fabric.

The woman had pale, almost white, hair and cold, icy-blue eyes. Her face was pinched and she had high, cutting cheekbones. She looked nothing like Emily, who stood, a little awkwardly, beside her. The wizard, however, was like Emily's twin, only older. He had the same dark hair and the same dainty features, small lips and nose, and long, slanted eyes the colour of emeralds. They were her parents.

I smiled nervously- the haughty pair intimidated me, and I felt they were not a pair to be on the wrong side of. Neither smiled back, but Emily's father gave a brisk nod of acknowledgement.

"Hurry along Emily," her mother said, bored, "You'll miss the train."

With a last goodbye to her parents, we sped through the busy station and through the wall between platforms 9 and 10: it was time to go back to Hogwarts at last!


I apologise again for my lack of update- my exams are over now so hopefully I'll be able to write more often! Just by the by, if anyone was confused about where the first chapter fit in to the story, 1: make sure you've read ch23 and the lead up to it, and 2: if you're still confused go back to ch1- I've included a brief explanation at the bottom now to avoid any unnecessary muddles.